Horton to guide Pirates

Bryce Alderton

Alec Horton, who guided Cypress College men’s and women’s tennis

teams last season, will take over for Glenn Morton as Orange Coast’s

men’s tennis coach, Athletic Director Barbara Bond announced Monday.

Morton was involved in a head-on collision on Adams Avenue in

Costa Mesa April 27 and spent nearly a month in an induced coma.

Morton’s son, Brian, said the family is optimistic his father will

make a full recovery.

OCC women’s tennis coach Janice Maran, who led the Pirates to the

seventh state championship in program history last spring, helped

Bond in the coaching search, which culminated with Horton’s hiring.

“I don’t think Glenn is in any condition to [coach next season],”

Bond said. “I’m hoping he has success with [rehabilitation] and gets

back on his feet.”

Horton, 35, brings 15 years of teaching and coaching experience to

OCC. Last year he directed the Orange Empire Conference men’s tennis

championships.

Horton’s collegiate coaching experience dates to 1992, when he led

the Saddleback women’s team to its only state championship. He has

also coached at the University of Nevada-Reno.

Horton, an adjunct or walk-on coach, is currently the owner and

director of the Mission Tennis Academy, a junior tennis program run

out of Mission Viejo Country Club.

The Lake Forest resident’s credentials also include stints as head

professional of both the San Diego Marriott Tennis Club and Lake

Forest clubs.

In his first season last spring, Morton helped revive OCC’s

program, guiding the Pirates to a second-place finish in the

conference and a postseason berth. He was then named conference Coach

of the Year.

Horton, good friends with Morton and his family, hopes to gain

some tips from another successful OCC coach as he embarks on his

newest job.

“I look forward to carrying on the winning traditions of Orange

Coast College,” Horton said. “I have a great mentor in (women’s head

coach) Janice Maran and hope to accomplish the same success with our

men’s team that she has with the women.”

Bond is confident Horton can continue the success Morton helped

generate last season.

“[Horton] has already [coached] before so it’s not going to be as

big of a learning curve as with someone else,” Bond said. “We were so

fortunate to have Glenn. He turned the program around.”

Bond said Horton brings similar expertise in an attempt to

continue the program’s winning ways.